TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

“If a man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”      
                                        —— Matt. 16:24.
                  Texts: Jer. 20:7-9, Romans 12:1-2, Matt. 16:21-27

                         
      Simon of Cyrene helps to carry Christ’s cross, a photo designed by Lloyd Cannaday
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Let someone praise God for his unfailing love bestowed on us because we cannot exist without him. Our lives are borrowed from Him and He may decide to take it at any time. So let the living worship God!
 Taking a cross is a difficult task to do. It requires determination, courage and the grace of God. The Christians should always exercise their spiritual instincts to understand the mysteries behind taking Christ’s cross.

A newly converted member was asked: “Have you forsaken Satan and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Personal Saviour?” The man replied: No! Then the Priest in annoyance asked him again: “why did you vehemently object such a wonderful offer?” The man retorted that his wife is that Satan and his children are her agents. Other members yelled out with laughter.

Now our message that is being taken from the gospel book of Mathew 16:24 aptly tells us that for one to take up his cross, he must first of all deny himself. He must leave the affairs and pleasures of this horrible world that would not at last lead him to heaven. It calls for self-denial. By this it implies that you will deny yourself the pleasures of the flesh, your parents, husband, wife or children who can bring reproach or become a stumbling block to you in worshiping and serving your God.
       
There was a devoted teacher of religious law who wanted to take up his cross and follow Jesus. All the same, it may be said that the man had some worldly affairs with his family members and things of the world. It may also be said from another point of view that the man had not totally denied himself because Christ says to him; Foxes have dens to live in, birds have nests, but the son of man has no place even to lay his head (Matt. 8:20, Luke 9:58). The cost of following Christ is too tasky. It does not demand us to look back to that which we have previously renounced. Again, the man’s request that was not granted to follow Jesus Christ and Christ’s rejection intimates us that the man was not capable of following Christ. He was not sure of the cost of following Christ and even if he was told, he would withdraw because he had saturated himself in the pleasures of this life. Such a person is not worthy of taking his cross. It’s just like when Satan comes to say he wants to take his cross to follow Jesus. Doesn’t it sound so ridiculous and deceitful? Satan’s work in following Jesus will ruin the good work of Christ. So Christ does not need people who are not spiritually ready to follow him because the cause of the stenching odours that are perceived from the body of he-goats is in their body. This implies that in order to follow Christ, we must crucify the old man in us to enable us become strong in faith.
       
However, another man was called by Christ to take up his cross and follow but he gave an unreasonable excuse to go and bury his father first before he would be ready to follow Him. This task does not know whether you bury your father or not. Besides, the man’s father was not a believer and the reply Christ provided: “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead” implies that the burial of the man’s father is not relevant compared to the benefit one will gain from following Christ. Christ says: “If you give up your life for my sake, you will save it – Matt. 16:25. Then why are we waiting to take up our cross and follow Jesus? Or is it that taking up our cross can take away our life? Yes but to some extent.
       
The cross does not permit believers to look back to their old nature. It does not allow our life to have meaning in this gratifying world. It rather brings suffering and death — Matt. 16:21 and 25. Jesus explains this to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of elders, chief priest and teachers of religious law that make up the Sanhedrin council.
       
Finally, brethren, you have seen that taking across is just like drinking from the suffering cup of anguish from which Christ drank with. Salome, the mother of John and James, the two sons of Zebedee came up to solicit for favour on behalf of her children that let Christ permit her children in his kingdom to sit in places of honour next to him — one on the right and the other on the left side. Christ asked: “Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering that I’m about to suffer?”  Without any qualms, they reply back that they are able and Christ confirms their faith and accepts their willingness to drink from the bitter cup. Really, the two sons of Zebedee drank from the bitter cup of death in course of taking up their cross. James was killed by Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, sometime between A.D 42 – 44 while John was banished from Ephesus in Asia Minor to the Island of Patmos during Domitian’s reign, A.D 81:96. A much later tradition believed that both James and John were martyred.
       
Brethren, do not slumber and never be discouraged to take up your cross because Christ’s grace is sufficient to us just as it was to Apostle Paul. May God be with you as you take up your cross from this time forth, Amen!


—————Meditation Point—————————
                 O Lord! Give me a small cross that I can carry through your sufficient grace, amen.